Picket fence.



No. 643,310. Patented Feb. I3, I900.

L. TBABUE.

PICKET FENCE.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1399.) N 0 M o d e I [4 WWW HE L 1 7 a zulgaegfmn & azm

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LUTHER 'IRABUE, OF GIRARD, ILLINOIS.

PICKET FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,310, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed October 10, 1899. Serial No. 733,202. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER TRABUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Girard, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Picket Fence, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in picket fences.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of picket fences and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability adapted to be readily erected and capable of enabling the pickets to be readily applied to the fence-wires without the use of staples or ties or similar fastening devices.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction of sheet-metal pickets and to provide a light, strong, and durable one which may be securely fastened to the fence-wires and which when placed in position will not slip downward out of alinement.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of aportion of a picket fence constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional'view. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the pickets are constructed.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a hollow metallic picket constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and the blank shown in this figure is centrally folded on the longitudinal dotted line 2 to form two sides 3, and the latter are centrally bowed or bent on the dotted lines 4t. Angular bends are preferably provided along the dotted lines 4, and when the side edges of the sheet metal are brought together, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, the picket is approximately diamond-shaped in cross-section. The sides of the picket are provided with pointed upper ends 5, formed by cutting the blank, as shown in Fig. 3, and these points or projections,

which are substantially triangular, are offset from each other to provide an open-top picket, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The pickets, which are designed to be arranged at intervals, as shown in Fig. I, are connected at their top, bottom, and center by twisted strands 6, but the wire may be arranged at less intervals, if desired, or just the top and bottom strands may be used. The strands of wire are closely twisted at 7 between the pickets, which are arranged in loops 8, formed by separating the wires. These loops 8 tightly embrace the pickets and maintain the longitudinal side edges of the sheet metal firmly in engagement with each other, so that it is unnecessary to connect such longitudinal edges by any other means.

In order to prevent the pickets from slipping through the loops of the fence-wires, they are provided at the angles of their sides 3 with depressions formed by slots or openings 9 and receiving the sides of the loops 8. These slots 9, which are preferably cutin the blank before the same is folded, form positive upper and lower shoulders which engage the sides of the loops 8, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, so that it is impossible for the pickets to slip downward after the strands of wire have been tightly twisted.

It will be seen that the pickets are light, strong, durable, and easily constructed, that they are made by folding a single piece of sheet metal, and that the fence-wires retain the sheet-metal in its folded position without the employment of other fastening means. It will also be apparent that the pickets are firmly engaged by the loops 8 of the Wires and that the slots or openings form upper and lower shoulders which effectually prevent the pickets from slipping upward or downward.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In a deviceof the class described,a picket constructed of a single piece of sheet metal folded longitudinally to form two sides, said sides being bowed outwardly and having their longitudinal edges in contact with each other and provided with opposite notches adapted to receive loops of fence-wires,whereby the said longitudinal edges of the picket are maintained in contact with each other and the form of the picket preserved, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of the pickets each constructed of a single piece of sheet metal folded longitudinally to form two sides and having the latter bowed outward and provided with openings forming upper and lower shoulders, and the fence-wires arranged in pairs, twisted to- LUTHER TRABUE.

Witnesses:

J. N. MCELVAIN, J. RoAoH. 

